Abberthorn

A Forgotten Land

'Hey Durane, don't you think we should stop for a while? We've been riding for days.' The silence of the darkening afternoon was shattered by the sound of Magnatheena's voice shouting out from behind him. Durane slowed his horse and looked to Daemon, who by now had fallen asleep leaning up against his back.

'I didn't think that Dwarves needed sleep that much?' answered Durane.

'We don't, but we can't go for as long as elves. Besides Daemon has been asleep for hours now' said Magnatheena drowsily.

'Exactly he's been asleep for hours. Leave him to rest while we keep making good time. Remember what your father said, it's going to take us around two months to get to your uncles city, and that's if we don't stop.'

'Yeah well remember I am a Princess, I have never ridden for so long before, I'm starting to get sore' said Magnatheena testily.

'Oh alright, we can stop here and start a fire just there off the road' said Durane giving in.

'Is it wise to set up camp so close to the road?' asked Magnatheena.

'What are you worried about, we are two master swordsmen and a junior master swordsman. There isn't much that could come down this road that we couldn't handle.'

'Yes, but we will be sleeping. That does kind of make it easier for people to sneak up on us.'

'You will be sleeping I won't, there are too many things playing on my mind right now for me to sleep' said Durane coming to a stop at the side of the road.

'Anything you want to talk about?' asked Magnatheena as she dismounted.

'No, it's alright I just need some time to think them through' answered Durane as he checked on Daemon.

Magnatheena took Daemon down from Durane's horse and wrapped him warmly in a blanket that she took from her saddlebag before laying him down near the fire that Durane had started to make. She then lay down just behind him, and as she started drifting off to sleep, she looked over at Durane one last time. She wondered what was worrying him so much, that he had barely said five words in the past few days on the road, and still needed more time to think them over. Were things even worse than Aramore had made them seem or was Durane simply carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders?

It was an uncomfortable night's sleep for Daemon and Magnatheena, as the temperature plummeted in the course of the night. Soon morning had come and Magnatheena was woken by the sound of Daemon laughing, a sound she had yet to hear. She woke with a smile as she sat up leaning back on her hands and watched the two boys play in the thin blanket of pure white snow, that had fallen the night before. As she watched on Magnatheena could see that the events of the past few days were still playing heavily on Durane's mind. So in between the throwing of snowballs, Magnatheena ran over and gently tackled Daemon to the ground. Laughing as they made their way to the ground, Daemon caught a glimpse of Durane sneaking off. Daemon sat up in the snow and turned to Magnatheena.

'Are things really that bad Maggie?'

'You noticed, did you?' answered Magnatheena, equally concerned for Durane.

'I'm young not blind.'

'It's just that there is a lot riding on the five of us being successful in our endeavours, that's all, and Durane really doesn't what to fail' said Magnatheena.

'Yes, but it's been that way from the beginning, and Durane was never like this before' said Daemon looking in the direction Durane had walked.

'Yeah well Durane is a really old man. He's just got a lot on his mind that's all. He'll come around before you know it. Now what's that you did to my name?' said Magnatheena changing the subject playfully.